


Halfway There

by ItsNotYouItsMimi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien can't figure out that ladybug likes him, F/M, Really Bad Puns, Stress ™, cliche tropes to get these kids closer to each other, i am unoriginal, like tripping, marinette getting confused about everything, or Marinette either for that matter, physically, puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7802209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsNotYouItsMimi/pseuds/ItsNotYouItsMimi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chat Noir really wants to reveal identities. Ladybug, on the other hand, does not. </p><p>This, as one might imagine, creates some conflict.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Halfway There

**Author's Note:**

> so this isn't exactly my best-written work but hey I really like the idea and I was too excited to write this to pay attention to descriptive language and all that sO
> 
> i was originally planning to make this multi-chapter but then I realized the chapters were too short so I lumped them all together
> 
> anyway ENJOY and I have a much cooler project coming up (it's an au and i have about 20 chapters planned rn)

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug cheered, throwing the empty juice box in the air. The Akumatized victim sat up and tilted his head, nonplussed.

Her earrings, in unison with Chat's ring, beeped.

"Okay, time to go. Nice job today. See you tomorrow for patrol," Ladybug said, turning to leave.

"W-wait!" Chat implored. "We don't have to go, you know..."

"You know the deal. We can't know each others' identities, you silly kitty."

"My Lady," Chat begged, "Just this once. You can't tell me you're seriously not even a little curious as to my real identity."

"Maybe a little, but-"

"Please, My Lady? What harm could it do?"

"There's no point trying to convince me, Chat Noir. Goodbye."

Chat sighed to himself, watching her swing away across the city.

"I'll convince her someday," he convinced himself.

 

 

Chat's tail twitched as he tried to work up the courage to ask her again. Ladybug had been acting distant and isolated for all of patrol, which gave off a pretty strong message.

An idea came to him, one that was maybe a little self-indulgent.

He collapsed onto the roof he had landed on and groaned. "My Lady, could we pause a minute?"

Ladybug turned, several roofs ahead, and bounded back to the roof her partner lay upon. "Chat Noir, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he panted, pretending to be out of breath. "Yeah, I just have... one request."

"What is it?"

Chat Noir licked his lips. "Can we reveal identities?"

Ladybug's worried expression promptly turned into one of anger as she pulled out her yo-yo.

SMACK.

Chat Noir whimpered as he gingerly lifted a hand to his stinging cheek, feeling it swell. 

Ladybug scowled. "Don't ask that again." She gave him a glare of disapproval, then swung back to the regular patrol route.

He struggled to his feet and resigned himself to following her, not wanting to get on the bad side of her yo-yo again.

"One of these days," he muttered to himself.

 

 

He had assumed that two days would have been enough time for Ladybug to get over her anger at his request, but she was apparently still angry about it. He didn't dare try any more tricks like he had last patrol; he feared that yo-yo like he did vacuums and spray bottles. He kept waiting for her to come to her senses, but she didn't seem to change her mind in the slightest.

The patrol yielded nothing as usual, and Ladybug was evidently prepared to wrap it up and go home.

Chat quickly placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. She whipped around to face him.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Uh... yeah, kinda. You've barely said anything this whole patrol," Chat pointed out.

Her expression softened a bit. "I'm sorry if I've been distant, Chat. I just..."

"It's okay, My Lady. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," she said curtly. "What is this really about?"

She had caught on surprisingly quickly.

Well, not too surprisingly.

"N-nothing!" Chat insisted. "I mean, this is what it's about. You've- you've barely been talking to me and I just wondered if something was going on-"

"No, you didn't."

Ladybug must have X-ray vision. She could see right through him.

Chat felt like the meme of the guy on Catfish.

"You got me there." He looked down. "I really just wanted to ask again if we could reveal identities."

Ladybug glowered in a classic "boy if you don't" manner. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not-"

"Why are you so bent on not knowing who I am? Why-"

"Fine!" Ladybug yelled, cutting him off. "Sure, whatever. Go ahead and detransform, I don't care. If you'll shut up about this then I might as well let you!"

Chat Noir's face slowly dissolved into ecstasy. "Really? We can- we can-"

"Yes, just hurry up and get it over with if you're going to do it!" Ladybug snapped.

Chat Noir was too caught up in the moment and determined to use this power before Ladybug changed her mind that he didn't even care that she was yelling at him.

"Okay. Here goes!" he said excitedly, and closed his eyes as his suit disappeared with a swish.

When he re-opened them, he blinked just to get used to regular human vision instead of cat vision. He shook his head once and looked at Ladybug.

Her eyes were comically wide in shock. She seemed too surprised to function. When Adrien tentatively moved forward and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, she squeaked and jolted backwards.

"My... My Lady?" 

"I, uh..." Her voice was high and shaky. "You- y-y-you're, and, uh-"

"Is something wrong?" Adrien asked concernedly.

She gulped loudly. "Wh-what? N-no, of course not! N-nothing's wrong. I'm- I'm fine. What m-makes you say that?"

"I dunno, you seem pale and upset."

"What? No, of course- of course not, I'm f-fine," she repeated. "I swear."

"If you say so. Okay!" Adrien cracked his knuckles in a very out-of-character manner. "Your turn."

Ladybug quickly transitioned out of her paralysis at this statement and shook her head vigorously. "No way."

"Wh- but- you promised!" Adrien protested, the hurt and misery in his eyes apparent. Or so he hoped. 

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "When did I do that?"

"Uh- well, it was implied-"

"I never said anything about me revealing my identity, chaton," Ladybug pointed out. "Not once."

"But- please? For me?" 

He could see a war playing out in Ladybug's brain, half wanting badly to reveal her true self to Adrien and half wanting to adhere to what she had said earlier, or lack thereof. She was silent for a good few minutes until she blinked and smiled devilishly, saying,

"No, I don't think so."

"Ladybug!" Adrien protested, reaching out, but she had already swung away.

His quest wasn't fulfilled yet.

 

\----

 

The Akuma was proving to be disproportionately difficult, and Chat was no help to the cause. He was horsing around by the edge of a roof, trying to get the Akuma's attention.

"Try and get me!" he taunted, then proceeded to sing MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This," while moonwalking.

Ladybug gritted her teeth. "Chat Noir, stay focused! We can't let them get the best of us!"

"Ah, I've got the Akuma under control. Look, they love my moonwalking!"

Ladybug glanced at the Akuma. They did not seem to love Chat Noir's moonwalking. In fact, their face was contorted into an expression of intense dislike and they were holding their formidable weapon of a 5-foot breadstick, ready for attack.

"I'd be careful if I were you," Ladybug called worriedly.

"I am being careful!" he replied, purposely pretending to trip and then righting himself.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug yelled, seeing the Akuma prepare to strike him.

Chat Noir looked over disinterestedly. "What?"

"The Akuma!" she cried. "Adri-"

She stuffed a fist in her mouth and watched in horror as the Akuma zeroed in.

"Take that!" they snarled.

"Woah!" Chat Noir jumped in midair and did a straddle split to avoid the Akuma's attack. The breadstick narrowly missed him.

He landed with a fancy dive roll and struck a pose reminiscent of Rose's "draw me like one of your French girls" pose from Titanic at the edge of the roof.

"Adri-" Ladybug cleared her throat, very loudly. "Chat Noir, please resume a normal position. We have to break that breadstick."

Chat glared at the Akuma. "We're in Paris! Couldn't you have chosen a baguette? Get in the Frenchy mood."

"Please, for the love of God, ignore him," Ladybug addressed the Akuma.

"One step ahead of you, pal," they said evilly, and raised the breadstick.

"Now, Chat!" Ladybug commanded, hoping he would understand without her having to go into detail.

"Hi-yah!" he cried, and breadstick crumbs were sent everywhere. Ladybug instinctively shielded her eyes from the crumbly mess.

When she was convinced that no more crumbs could hurt her, she opened them. Chat Noir had apparently karate-kicked the breadstick in half, and the black butterfly was now flying away.

"Oh, no you don't." Ladybug split her yo-yo open and caught the thing. "Bye-bye, petit papillon!"

"Ladybug, you missed it," Chat Noir whined, as the Akuma returned to their civilian state and dazedly climbed down off the roof. "That was a top-quality karate kick."

"I'm sure it was, but-- why didn't you just use Cataclysm?" Ladybug said shakily. "You were on the edge of the roof... you could've hurt yourself."

Chat Noir frowned. "That's part of the job, Ladybug. This isn't exactly the safest gig in Paris."

"Well, yes, but you didn't have to kick it like that. It was dangerous."

He raised an eyebrow. "You've never been this worried about my safety before. Is everything okay?"

"What? Yes, everything's fine, I just- it's different now," she admitted, cheeks cherry blossom pink, "now that I know who you... who you really are."

"No it's not?" he said, utterly nonplussed. "Why would it be any different if you know who I am?"

"Because, I-" Ladybug moistened her lips. "You- I mean, I just- urgh, I can't explain it! Never mind." Without looking back at him, Ladybug left the scene, leaving Chat completely floored.

What had he done wrong?

 

 

This question haunted Adrien as he vainly attempted to get some sleep later that night, stroking his fuzzy ladybug pajamas. What on earth had he done that made their relationship any different? Why would Ladybug care more about whether he was behaving in a safe manner if she knew his identity? Did she think Adrien couldn't take care of himself? Did she just not expect it to be him?

He turned over on his side and poked Plagg. "Hey, Plagg. Why does Ladybug think it's different now that she knows who I am?"

"I don't know, kid," Plagg yawned. "It's three in the morning. Can I sleep, or...?"

Adrien glanced up at the glow-in-the-dark clock he owned. Plagg was right. Adrien had been mulling over this for hours now.

"Sorry. Good night, Plagg."

"G'night," the kwami replied sleepily.

Adrien was no less dissatisfied. He had absolutely no idea what made his and Ladybug's relationship any different at all now that she knew his pretty face behind the mask.

What had he done wrong?!

 

\----

 

Alya glanced over at her raven-haired friend. Marinette was chewing obsessively on her pencil, wearing a facial expression of intense stress. 

"Marinette, I think you should leave that poor pencil alone. What did it do to you?"

Marinette crossed her eyes looking down at the pencil in her mouth. She yanked it out and pasted on a smile.

"Heh, whoops."

"Is there something you... want to tell me about?"

"N-no," Marinette said, too quickly. "N-nothing at all. Everything's fine."

"I dunno, you're looking at Adrien like he gave your entire family the black plague and murdered your dog."

"I- I am?" Marinette glanced at Adrien. "I didn't mean to..."

"Did something happen between you two?" Alya grilled, reporter instincts kicking in.

"No!" Marinette insisted loudly, making the entire class turn around and look at her.

She blushed profusely. "I- I mean, no," she repeated, at a normal volume. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

Alya raised an eyebrow, not buying it. 

"Really!" Marinette persisted. "I-"

She piped down, noticing Mme. Mendeliev glaring at her.

The entire duration of the class, Marinette couldn't tear her eyes away from Adrien. She would stare for too long and see him in a leather and spandex catsuit, and then blink and see his usual white jacket.

How could she have been so blind? He was... just so not like Chat that she had completely disassociated the two, and now that she was enlightened she couldn't stop thinking about it.

The teacher called Adrien up to demonstrate the way nitrogen atoms bonded together. Marinette squinted; the way he smiled just seemed so familiar.

She was struck with realization and collapsed in her seat, eyes blank. That pleased grin was exactly the same smile that often graced the face of Chat Noir. 

She could almost see a black mask over his clover-green eyes, and shuddered a little bit. 

Marinette wished she had never let Chat Noir reveal his identity. 

She was paying hell for it.

Everything Adrien did was an echo of Chat Noir, and vice versa. She couldn't stop thinking about Chat Noir when she saw Adrien, and Adrien when she saw Chat Noir.

Adrien finished explaining the whole nitrogen thing and sat down. Marinette looked down at her paper. She hadn't taken any notes whatsoever, she had been so caught up in thinking about Chat Noir.

This was unacceptable. Chat Noir never prevented Marinette from being productive! Her daydreams were occupied by Adrien and Adrien only. Chat Noir had no place in her head.

She mentally repeated it over and over again. "Chat Noir has no place in my head. Chat Noir has no place in my head. Chat Noir has no place in my head."

Chat Noir had no place in her head!

Alya tapped Marinette's shoulder. "Mademoiselle Dreamer? Class is over. Are you going to join us?"

"What? Yes, sure," Marinette stammered, standing up and collecting her bags.

Alya elbowed her as they walk out of the classroom. "Someone seems a little preoccupied. Is Monsieur Pretty-Face preventing you from classwork?"

"Ha, as if," Marinette scoffed. 

"I dunno... he seems to be doing a pretty good job if that's the case." Alya tapped Marinette's empty notebook.

Marinette's cheeks burned. "Th-that has nothing to do with Adrien!"

BAM.

"A-Adrien!" Marinette squawked, realizing that she had crashed into him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I really didn't see you th-" 

"It's okay," Adrien assured, seeming a little flustered. "I'm sorry about that, I just-"

Marinette looked down. Adrien was still holding her in her arms.

"D'aah!" She quickly pulled away.

That was Chat Noir holding her! Chat Noir was holding her in his arms!

"I'm... really sorry," she repeated. "I, uh..."

Her eyes darted between Nino and Adrien.

Adrien had that tender look in his eyes, one that she caught him wearing often as Chat Noir. Every time she caught him staring at her, he had this affectionate expression.

They were the same! How had she not seen it?

"I'm really, really sorry," she said for the third time. "I should've looked where I was going, and then I wouldn't have bumped into you, Cha-"

She froze and resisted the urge to stuff her fist in her mouth as she had earlier, since that would almost definitely give her away.

Inhale, exhale.

"Adrien," she corrected herself. "Yeah."

"It's, uh, no big deal," Adrien said, blushing. "Don't worry about it, I should've been more attentive too..."

The fleeting Chat Noir-esque tone in his eyes had disappeared. Marinette blinked.

Alya, who had been watching the awkward exchange with interest, gave Marinette a little tug. "Come on, missy. Don't want to be late for lunch."

Adrien cocked his head ever so slightly, exactly like a cat would.

Marinette wanted to scream. Chat Noir did this exact thing!

"Good-bye, then," he said with uncertainty.

"Good-bye, Ch- Adrien," Marinette agreed, the last word stressed more than necessary. She glanced at Alya, then bolted.

Alya shrugged and jogged after her. "Bye Adrien! Bye, Nino!" she added, twisting to properly say goodbye to the latter.

Nino waved, blushing a little. 

Adrien looked over to Nino. "What was that about?"

"What do you mean?" Nino asked, still looking at Alya, who had already turned back around to chase after Marinette.

"She could barely string five words together. D'you think-"

"Dude, when has she ever not been like that?"

Adrien lifted an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Nino finally faced Adrien. "Haven't you noticed? She's always a stuttering mess around you."

"Around-" Adrien blinked. "Around me, in particular?"

Nino snorted. "No, around Godzilla. Yes, you in particular! Don't tell me you don't know why she has so much trouble talking to you."

"I- I really have no idea."

Nino took out a tube of bubbles and blew a few. "Bro, you're crazy oblivious. The entire class knows."

"Wh-what am I missing out on?" Adrien demanded in frustration, not raising his voice (such a gentleman) but also quite assertively.

Nino shrugged. "She'd kill me if I right out and told you. You could always ask her, you know."

"But that might be intrusive..."

Nino rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. Let's go sit down for lunch."

Adrien was now in intense turmoil about the whole "girls" situation. Both of the girls he knew best (excluding Chloe) were acting incredibly weirdly, and he just had no idea, at all, what he had done to provoke it. 

He subconsciously ruffled his hair. He had gotten a haircut that had ridded him of a 1/2 inch of hair recently. Was that it? Slightly shorter hair? Maybe that was why Ladybug and Marinette were acting so strangely. They couldn't handle a little haircut.

An unlikely possibility, but the only one he could think of. 

As he sipped a slushie, he mentally replayed his conversation between himself and Marinette. Maybe that would supply some answers. 

"I'm really, really sorry. I should've looked where I was going, and then I wouldn't have bumped into you, Cha-"

What was she about to say? Before she froze up and continued with his name? It almost sounded like she wanted to say "Chat."

But why would she want to say that?

Adrien groaned and gripped his head. It was all too confusing! Was there any explanation to all this or was Marinette just messing with him or something?

Nino looked over sympathetically. "Brain freeze?"

 

\----

 

Marinette was not faring especially well.

It was at the point where she could not remember whether any given exchange between herself and Chat/Adrien was with which boy. All walls differentiating the two had broken down in her brain, and it was occupying all of her mental capacity 24/7. 

She didn't even remember which of them she had a crush on!

She mentally scolded herself. Basic knowledge, Marinette, come on.

Which boy always takes up all of your thoughts and you can't form sentences around him?

Marinette groaned internally. Both of them did, now!

Any hope at clarity of thought was fleeting. Mari was never not thinking about Chat and/or Adrien, which was a shameful confession. Boys should never take up one's life. Marinette had schoolwork and Akuma fighting to think about!

She couldn't get those crystalline green eyes out of her head. 

They bore into her, searching her.

She had nothing left to hide.

 

Alya had completely given up trying to get Marinette to participate in class and had just resorted to taking Marinette's notes for her. Alya didn't know what made Marinette so incapable of function, but as her best friend she decided to pick up the slack anyway.

"Marinette will thank me later," was her logic.

Marinette had yet to do anything of the sort.

So when she greeted Alya normally (if not tiredly) at the beginning of the school day, Alya cheered and hugged her friend.

"You're back, girl!"

"I... I am?" Marinette said, dazed. "Where did I go?"

"You were all spaced out on me! You barely talked to anyone. But you're okay!"

No, I'm not, Marinette thought to herself,  
but said aloud "I'm sorry I haven't been talking... I've just been-"

"Ah, I don't care. Just glad to see you talking normally again." Alya gave an extra squeeze for good measure and finally finished the hug.

"Oh... you're a strong hugger," Marinette noted sleepily.

"One of my many talents." Alya adjusted her glasses anime-style and grinned.

Marinette yawned. "Well, I suppose it's almost class time-"

"Salut, Marinette!"

Marinette was too tired and worn out to even be surprised. She turned and faced Adrien, accompanied as always by Nino.

"S-s-salut, Adrien," she echoed. "What's... going on...?"

He shrugged. "Class, I guess. Not much. I just wanted to come talk to you, see if you were okay."

"That's... nice," Marinette said, massaging her neck. Her head hurt. Maybe her pigtails were too tight? "Thanks..."

"You're... welcome?" Adrien looked at her a little quizzically. If Marinette had been half-awake, she would've recognized that same exact expression on her favorite (or maybe least favorite) cat's face.

"Ah, she's a little out of it. Seems like she didn't get much sleep." Alya shook the girl gently. "Did you skimp on sleep?"

"Wasn't... my fault," Marinette said vaguely.

"Whatever you say, girl. Come on, let's go to class and you can have a deep and heartfelt conversation with this guy over here." Alya playfully shoved Adrien.

Pink rose to Adrien's cheeks. "Why- why me?"

"Cause you seemed so concerned for her."

"Sure, whatever," Marinette yawned, and followed Alya doggedly up the stairs.

"Aah!" she screamed, as her flats betrayed her and she tripped on the stairs, accidentally dragging Adrien down with her.

She groaned and rubbed her head, looking regretfully at Adrien, prepared to apologize. He looked over to her, and chuckled.

Confusion arose in Marinette. Why was he laughing?

He smirked as his eyes darted to meet Marinette's. "I... I guess you could say we got... SCHOOLED."

Marinette's confusion quickly dissipated, replaced entirely with rage.

"I swear to God," she vowed through gritted teeth, "if you make ONE MORE DUMB PUN, I will rip you limb from limb, Chat Noir!"

Adrien quickly stopped laughing.


End file.
